Disposition
The Disposition System is a means of tracking a character's moral and interpersonal nature in the world of Thaelis-Y'Arda. Disposition confers certain skill bonuses, but more importantly determines the properties of a character's soul. Using the Disposition System Every mortal born into Thaelis-Y’Arda is granted a fragment of the Over-Soul by Tey’Kor-Akx, which grants them free will and the capacity for moral action. Since the Over-Soul is that which binds the world together, Oblivion constantly strives to corrupt the hearts and souls of those within it. Every mortal with an INT score of 6 or higher has a Disposition, which describes the way in which interacts with others within the world both morally and interpersonally. Those with an INT score less than 6 are not intelligent enough for abstract reasoning and are not morally responsible for their actions. The Disposition system is built upon a foundation of clinical psychology and ethical philosophy, and in addition to having in-game effects it is intended to help players better understand the psychology behind different outlooks, and to create realistic character arcs in-game. A character’s Disposition is determined by their actions as role-played by their player or the Game Master, and in no way is meant to be a straight jacket placed upon role-playing. As a character interacts with the world around them, their position on the Disposition grid will shift, not the other way around. Changing Disposition Tracking Disposition The Disposition Grid The Disposition grid has two axes, Heart and Mind, which each possess 7 distinct increments. Heart tracks the moral nature of a character and Mind tracks their behavioural nature. The coordinates given by these scales mark a single position on the grid, which indicates the Disposition Archetype the character currently presents. The Heart Axis This axis reflects a character’s nobility of intent, their humility and their emotional attachment to others. It begins in the centre at Neutrality (where most mortals within the world remain throughout their lives), and runs towards opposite poles of Purity and Corruption. The points on the Heart axis must be passed through one by one (i.e. for a character to have a Purity of 3, they must fulfil the criteria for Purities 1, 2 and 3, not merely 3 alone). The main precepts of Purity are humility, honesty and existential acceptance as well as the desire to alleviate the unnecessary suffering of others. The main precepts of Corruption are arrogance, deceit and existential resentment as well as the desire to inflict unnecessary suffering upon others. As a rule of thumb, this axis generally examines a character’s direct, face-to-face interactions with others – a truly moral individual seeks to connect deeply with others, and the truly malevolent are cold enough to personally witness the dreadful effects of their actions. Purity 3 (Virtuous) Motivated by love for others or hatred for evil, the character proactively seeks out and either redeems or destroys the wicked. They are willing to lay down their life for strangers in times of truly great crisis, and are devoted to defending those who cannot defend themselves, such as children and the infirm. They believe strongly in justice and cannot stand to see the guilty go unpunished. Rule of thumb: Relentlessly opposes those who inflict misery and destruction. Purity 2 (Compassionate) Motivated by compassion and altruism, the character proactively imparts wisdom to those willing to learn. They are committed to healing the physical or mental ills of others and alleviating unnecessary suffering by any means possible. They seek to help individuals connect to their true selves and callings in life. Rule of thumb: A life devoted to alleviating the unnecessary suffering of others. Purity 1 (Moral) Motivated by a desire for fairness and integrity, the character tells necessary truths regardless of social pressure or disapproval. They refuse to take bribes, will not willingly betray others and refrain from intentional deception. They are concerned for other’s welfare and routinely perform acts of helpfulness. Rule of thumb: Telling the perceived truth with honesty and integrity. Heart 0 (Neutral) Motivated by their own personal convenience and safety, the character is either ignorant of right and wrong or unwilling to take a moral stand. They likely conform to their culture’s standards of behavioural conduct without much question. They prefer honesty to deceit and will not knowingly engage in blatant acts of immorality. Rule of thumb: General lack of moral knowledge or concern. Corruption 1 (Immoral) Motivated either by spite or by gaining unearned wealth or respect, the character readily lies and engages in fraud and other deceptions. They will slander and bully others for personal gain and steal through stealth or guile. In addition, they are likely to engage in minor acts of abuse, physical or verbal, directed against those under their power. Rule of thumb: Concealing the truth for personal advantage.. Corruption 2 (Callous) Motivated by a need for infamy, profit or a simple desire for power, the character engages in murder and perhaps even torture. They will steal through force or the threat of it, and are willing to inflict severe physical or psychological abuse upon others, up to the point of destroying their lives. Mind control and other forms of rape are not beneath them. Rule of thumb: A heartless life unconcerned by the suffering they cause. Corruption 3 (Vengeful) Motivated out of sheer hatred or nihilistic vengeance, the character will murder, rape or torture for sadistic pleasure. They think nothing of wreaking mass destruction as a means to an end or as an end unto itself, and may commit acts of horrifying depravity, perversion and atrocity. There is likely no depth of monstrosity that they will not descend to. Rule of thumb: Relentlessly inflicts universal pain, misery and destruction. The Mind Axis This axis reflects a character’s clarity of intent, their discipline and level of impulse control. It begins in the centre at Passivity (where most mortals within the world remain throughout their lives), and runs towards opposite poles of Drive and Urge. The points on the Mind axis must be passed through one by one (i.e. for a character to have an Urge of 3, they must fulfil the criteria for Urges 1, 2 and 3, not merely 3 alone). As a rule of thumb, this axis generally examines a character’s preferred mode of operation within their everyday lives - while a character with high Drive may occasionally act on pure emotion during a time of high stress, or a high Urge character might restrain themselves through effort when they direly need to, these are exceptions to their general preferences and are not sufficient to justify a shift on the scale. Drive 3 (Meticulous) Resolute and single-minded, the character demonstrates the ability to exhibit devotion in turning over every aspect of their lives to their goal. Within a society, they will be attempting to bring about social change by refining or subverting existing systems and laws. They may be a member of a church with "Ascetic" teachings. Rule of thumb: Tenaciously holds to a guiding axiom or purpose Drive 2 (Committed) Ardent and committed, the character demonstrates the ability to exhibit discipline in accepting internal and/or external restrictions placed upon their behaviour. Within a society, they will be attempting to uphold the systems and laws upon which the culture is founded. They may be a member of a church with "Dogmatic" teachings. Rule of thumb: Personal deference to a codified set of rules Drive 1 (Orderly) Deliberate and purposeful, the character demonstrates the ability to exhibit prudence in the planning and execution of long-term plans. Within a society, they will likely form the economic backbone of a culture, using their initiative to set up enterprises and generate value. They may be a member of a church with "Conservative" teachings. Rule of thumb: Orderly approach to being Mind 0 (Passive) Unambitious and practical, the character neither acts out of emotional impetus or out of a desire to achieve. Within a society, they are the majority and will generally fulfil whatever role affords them the personal life they want to lead. They seek the fulfilment of their everyday needs and the handling of day-to-day concerns. Rule of thumb: Concerned with their day-to-day affairs Urge 1 (Impulsive) Impulsive and spontaneous, the character is often rash in their actions and frequently unable to reliably follow through on carefully made plans. Within a society, they may play an economic role in the culture but are equally as likely to be unproductive citizens. They seek the fulfilment of immediate wants, needs and desires. Rule of thumb: Unstructured approach to being Urge 2 (Defiant) Rebellious and anti-authoritarian, the character acts on their own inclinations regardless of mortal laws, social expectations or restrictive religious edicts. Within a society, they will not provide stable value to the economy and are often pursued by the authorities for unlawfulness. They reject most limits placed upon their actions. Rule of thumb: Defiance towards social norms and laws Urge 3 (Unrestrained) Restless and renegade, the character acts upon emotional impulses and finds it impossible to integrate into organised societies. Within a society they will act as if laws and cultural norms did not exist at all, bringing unrest regardless of their intentions. They are constantly active, tending to lead nomadic lives of endless motion. Rule of thumb: Re-actively gives way to immediate strong emotions. Disposition Archetypes The Disposition Grid has 33 distinct points upon it, each illustrating a certain character archetypes from real-world myths, legends and fiction. Each Archetype has its own page that goes into further detail. * The Aggressor * The Benefactor * The Brutalizer * The Builder * The Conformer * The Conniver * The Contributor * The Crusader * The Defender * The Defiler * The Destroyer * The Dissenter * The Dominator * The Executioner * The Helper * The Looter * The Manipulator * The Marauder * The Mediator * The Organiser * The Persecutor * The Philosopher * The Predator * The Promoter * The Punisher * The Ranger * The Reaver * The Rescuer * The Schemer * The Seeker * The Supporter * The Swindler * The Explorer